1. Technical Field
This patent application relates to a monolithically integral solar energy device and related devices.
2. Background Information
The integration of photonic devices for low-cost on-chip optical interconnects is of great interest for high speed computing. Additionally, there is a desire in the solar energy industry to tap the potential high theoretical conversion efficiency of rectennas, where highly concentrated coherent light in a waveguide could enable higher rectenna efficiencies.
One of the key elements for both end uses is the efficient integration of a waveguide and a photodetector. Coupling of light from a planar waveguide to a monolithically integrated photodetector or rectenna can be accomplished in several ways, but it has remained a challenge to do so with high efficiency across a broad spectral band.